Hospice of Acadiana, Inc. is a local non-profit organization of compassionate, well-trained professionals, support staff, and volunteers who provide a comprehensive program of medical care, counseling, and spiritual direction to persons with life-threatening conditions and their families.

The Hospice of Acadiana Foundation is a publicly supported tax exempt corporation which was created by the board of directors of Hospice of Acadiana, Inc., a non-profit organization, and which serves as the primary fundraising organization to help underwrite the programs and services of Hospice of Acadiana, Inc.

Love hunting for treasures? November 22, 2014 from 7am- 3pm Hospice of Acadiana will hold its third annual garage sale at the Hospice of Acadiana offices at 2600 Johnston Street. Enjoy the cool air-conditioning as you peruse through rooms and rooms of household goods, furniture and unusual treasures. This one day event has something special for all ages, interests and every holiday!

Donations of furniture will be accepted until November 14th. Sorry no clothing.

For over 31 years Hospice of Acadiana, Inc. has provided outstanding service to the community, not only through direct patient care but also through a number of support programs. Hospice of Acadiana, Inc. is the only non-profit hospice care provider in Acadiana and is committed to its patients as well as the community. If you would like to learn more about Hospice of Acadiana, Inc. you can call 337-232-1234.

Why Medicines Change During Hospice Care

Glen Mire, MD

The focus of hospice care is palliative symptom control and patient comfort, not curing disease. When most patients are admitted to hospice, it is usually time to stop certain medications. Our medical team carefully evaluates the functional status of each patient upon admission, and reviews the medicines they are taking. We may decrease dosage or gradually phase out certain medications that no longer benefit the patient. Whether or not we phase out a medication depends on how active and functional the patient is. If they are still alert, socially interactive, and physically active, we usually continue the medication. Hospice does not accelerate the dying process by stopping medications that still benefit the patient.

Blood Pressure, Thyroid and Diabetes Medications Patients who are admitted with high blood pressure, diabetes, or thyroid disease may have their medications gradually reduced. While we do not want uncontrolled blood pressure, diabetes or thyroid disease, which could make the patient feel worse, we don’t want “tight” control of blood sugars or blood pressure either. We must strike the right balance according to the needs of the individual patient. It’s an ongoing evaluation: Whether the benefits of a certain medication outweigh the burdens at that particular time, for that particular patient. We maintain the regimen that best enhances the quality and comfort of life.

A medication that is appropriate for the patient at one time may not still be appropriate a few weeks or months later. It depends on the progression of the disease. For example, as long as patients with diabetes are still eating and drinking, the medication benefit exists. When the patient is no longer eating and drinking normally, medications are reduced to decrease the risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). When patients are in the final stages of dying – are barely conscious, not eating or drinking – on their “death bed” – there is rarely any benefit in continuing blood pressure, thyroid or diabetes medication.

Surprisingly, patients often report an improvement in their sense of well-being and vitality when their pill load is reduced, because the good we thought we were doing doesn’t necessarily translate into patients feeling better.

Alzheimer’s Medications do not cure or prevent dementia, but, at best, help slow its progression. When a hospice patient is admitted, we may either reduce or discontinue those medications, if they are no longer of benefit to the patient. In most cases, it is appropriate to stop these medications when patients are admitted into hospice in the end-stages of dementia.

Symptom Control and Therapies Medications to control pain, anxiety, sleeplessness, and other distressing symptoms such as coughing and diarrhea are appropriate to keep patients physically and mentally comfortable. Occupational and physical therapies focused on rehabilitation are usually discontinued, as they no longer benefit patients with end-stage terminal disease. HoA may provide limited physical and/or occupational therapy to train and instruct families to help them learn how to transfer the patient, for example, from chair to bed. The goal is to enable them to care for their loved one comfortably and safely.

The Ongoing Question At HoA, we continually ask: Is this medication providing benefit, or just risking side effects while no longer providing any benefit? If benefits do NOT outweigh the burden, then it’s probably time to either gradually phase out or stop that particular medication.

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Posted on July 16, 2014 by Christopher Hewitt (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)Just 9 years ago from last Monday, Dame Cicely Mary Strode Saunders’ life came to a close after 87 years. Born in 1918, she marched across the 20th century as a self-starting woman destined to be remembered as the founder of the modern hospice movement. Thus, in honor of her death day, this week we take a moment to honor her widespread influence and ongoing legacy. Her accomplishments were extraordinary. After attending Oxford, serving as a nurse in WWII, then going to medical school and qualifying as a doctor, Saunders worked for decades “to build a home for dying people, where scientific knowledge should be combined with care and love.” And in 1967 she founded St. Christopher’s Hospice, the first secular, modern hospice in the world.

Saunders’ practices, informed by her own extensive research and firsthand experience with pain management, continue to shape the ethics of hospice care today. Advocating the need for palliative care, the tenacious, driven paragon of proto-feminism disavowed the prevailing ethics in which doctors would attempt to cure their patients at any cost while those who couldn’t be cured were considered failures. Instead, she believed that dying people deserved compassion, respect and assistance with managing pain. And not just physical pain—Saunders widened her notion of pain to include a more holistic complex of physical, emotional and spiritual dimensions.
Along with her progressive ideas on pain and treatment, Saunders corrected the things she found objectionable in the medicine of her day. She renounced the idea that medication had to wear off completely before taking another dose, refused the widely accepted practice of lying to a patient about his or her prognosis and abolished “visiting hours,” which were often an excuse to have mostly “non-visiting hours.” In summary, her cutting-edge decisions are basic protocol for many hospitals today.

Imagine what our world would be if we had more visionaries like Saunders — people so clearly marked by goodness and truth. Audacious, free-thinking and endlessly compassionate, she pushed against the mistakes of her peers to help those most in need of comfort and care. As we watch our aging parents and grandparents, let us remember her lessons as we honor her life, remarkable as it was.